Screening devices for windows and doors such as roller blind, venetian blinds, pleated blinds and internal and external shutters are conventionally supplied together with supporting brackets which are specifically adapted to the particular form of screening device and are engageable by engaging means provided on the screening device, typically at either end thereof. During installation of the screening device the supporting brackets must be mounted by the user himself which frequently results in errors, in particular if different left-hand and right hand brackets are mixed up.
Although it is also known to incorporate supporting brackets for a specific type of screening devices in the frame structures of doors and windows during the production thereof, so that the door or window frame structure is supplied with premounted supporting brackets, such brackets have normally been designed for use with a specific kind of screening devices such as roller blinds. If installation of another kind of screening device such as a venetian blind is desired, then it has been necessary in such case to replace the premounted supporting brackets with brackets specifically designed for the desired screening device.
In addition, unavoidable production tolerances for the door or window frame structure may result in difficulties with respect to correct mounting of a screening device, whereby safe mounting of a screening device to the frame structure may occasionally only be obtained by use of additional fastening screws.
In DE patent no. 30 48 333 supporting means for a roller blind is disclosed comprising two support plates, one of which is provided with a slot for receiving a square pin in one end of the spring roller tube of the roller blind in a rotationally locked manner and the other one is provided with a circular hole. For alternative mounting of a Venetian blind, each support plate is provided with protrusions for engaging grooves in coupling members connected with the top casing of the Venetian blind, said members being pushed over the support plates. Subsequently, the side guide lists of the blind are mounted, said lists serving simultaneously as support for the coupling members and the top casing of the blind, i.e. as a safety against disconnection of the coupling member from the support plate.
Although this support arrangement allows for use of the same supporting brackets for different screening devices, a disadvantage of this design has been that for use with a roller blind supporting brackets of different design for receiving the spring roller tube of the roller blind, i.e. the slot and the circular hole, respectively, are required.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,045 a supporting arrangement is disclosed comprising elongate slotted rails secured to the side members of the frame structure and extending throughout the height thereof and coupling members provided with hook-shaped engaging members to engage in slots of said rails and projecting at right angles in front of the frame structure. The less attractive appearance of this arrangement limits its application to draperies, which will hide the supporting arrangement, and does not qualify to meet current demands for an aesthetical and functional design of windows and accessories like screening devices.
EP-A1-0,465,433 discloses an arrangement comprising a pair of identical tubus-shaped supporting brackets secure to opposed surfaces of frame side members, in each of which a transverse recess is formed to receive a resilient clamping member of a form restoring the outer cylindrical form of the supporting brackets. This design is intended only for roller blinds having engaging means in the form of projecting cylindrical pins at either end.
WO 96/07007 discloses a roller shade mounted between a pair of supporting brackets projecting at right angles from the front side of the frame structure and formed with an undercut groove to receive a coupling member in the form of a slide engaged by the roller shade.
In SE-B-415,904 a roller blind support is disclosed comprising a pair of L-shaped bracket members in which edge flange portions on either side of a rectangular slit are engaged by resilient legs of an insert slide which can be pushed into the recess and is engageable by engaging means on the roller blind.